Liquid-meter.



No. 872,435. PATENTED DEC. 8, 1907. J. W. LEDOUX.

LIQUID METER.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.21, 1905.

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ITOHN W. LEDOUX, OF SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOV SIMPLEX VALVE AND METER COMPANY, A CORPORATIONOF NEW`JERSEY.

LIQUID-LETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1907.

Appiicaiion filed september 21.1905. serial No. 279.379.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Liquid -Meters, of which the following 'a specification. v

This invention is a meter having improved means for determining and registering the lflow of a liquid.: It comprises a vessel in which a li uid load is accumulated and a dh discharges the load when a certain quantity has accumulated, in combination with mechanism for registerin the quantity of the liquid passing throug the vessel. With metal or @lass 'siphonic tubes small Dbore', say less than three-fourths o an inch in diameter, the loads will discharge when they have accumulated to a denite height though the vessel 'remain stationaiy, .but generally I prefer to vuse a vessel tilte under a denite load to induce the siphonic action. In measuring the flow of a liquid, as Water, through a conduit, I prefer to usea cam connected with the conduit by mechanism such that the position of the cam is .regulated in correspondence with the rate of flow in the conduit. The vessel is charged in a re ular manner under a constant head, and discharges upon the accumulation `of a definite load. A float is reciprocated in the vessel through a definitel space at regular intervals.

A tappet connected with the float is so operated that it makes contact withand is withdrawn from the cam at regular intervals-so that its arc of vibration varies with the position of the cam and correliso sponds to thefrate of flow through the conduit. And the register is actuated by mechanism operated by the tappet so that the rate of registration corresponds to the distance through which the tappet moves.

In the accompan 'ng drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation partia l in section representing my im rovements: ig. 2 is a bottom view of mec anism for actuating the register: Fi Sis-a sectional view taken on the line A of Figs. 1 and 2: Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line C-D of Fig. 1: Fi f5 is a sectional view taken on the line i-F of Figs. I and 4: and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the tilting `vessel and float.

In the application of the improvements shown inthe drawin s, the main conduit l1 through which .the liquid to be measured flows is provided with a venturi section comprising the conical parts 2 and 3 converging to the neck or contracted section 4. A pipe 5 connects a normal section of this conduit to the top of a receptacle 6 and a pipe 7 connects the contracted section of the cond uit to the top of a receptacleS, these receptacles having their bottoms connected by a pipe 9. A liquid as mercury heavier than that to be measured is contained in the receptacles 6 and 8. Upon the surfaces of the mercury columns presses the li uid which flows into the receptacles throug the pipes 5 and 7, the mercury columns being alanced by their communication through the pipe 9 and the Weight or pressure of the liquid thereon.

A- pipe 10 and a valve 11 therein' provide means for connecting and disconnecting the pipes 5 and 7. Valves 12 and I13 are p aced in the pipe 5 and valves 14 and 15 are placed in the p1 es 7- on either side of the pipe 10.

These va ves do not enter into the normal action of the mechanism and are for the purpose of testing and adjustn A cam 16 and a sheave 17 xed thereto are mounted to rotate together on an axis 18. On the sheave is fixed a liexible wire 19. One end of this wire passes through the small bore of the tube 20, set in the topY of the receptacle 6, to a connection with the float 21 carried by the mercury in the receptacle, while the other end of the Wire issecured to a counterbalancing Weight 22. It is to be understood that the bore of the tube 20 is sufiiciently small to prevent any material flow of liquid therethrough and a spout 20 may be connected therewith to discharge any waste that may take place by way of this tube.

A bifurcated lever 23 is mounted to oscillate on the axis 24 and has on the end thereof a tappet 25 adapted to make contact with the peri ery of the cam, a counterweight 26 on the ever acting to move the tappet into contact with the cani. Mounted'to revolve on the axis 24 between the bifurcations of the lever is a gear wheel 27 for driving a gear wheel 28 to actuate the register 29. The bifurcated members of the lever 23 have thereinthe races containing the balls 31 which bear a ainst the faces of the wheel 27 These balls c utch and unclutch the wheel and lever at opposite oscillations of the latter, through the actions of the inclined surfaces of `t e lraces which wedge the balls against the.

' the wheel when/theilatter' is advanced, upon the clutching of the lever 23 thereto; and clutch the wheel when the lever is rocked in the opposite direction.

A depending cord 35 is fixed to the tap et end of the lever 23 andis adapted to plhy through the top of a link 36, the cordv having' thereon a ball 37 by which the link'becomes engaged to the cord in falling and rises independently thereof. A iioat 3S is connected to the link 36 by a rod 39 which is adapted to reciprocate in and is limited in its reciproca-- tions bythe guides 40.

To reciprocate the float in a constant manner and to draw down the tappet end ofthe lever at regular intervals through its connection therewith, the vessel 41 is mounted to oscillate between the stops 42 and 43 on the eccentrically placed bearings 44. This vessel has its main compartment 45 in communication with a closed auxiliary compartment 46 by a passage 47 which is below the tops of the two compartments. In the compartment 46 is Xed a tube 48 through which the liquid rising to a level near the top of the compartments overflows into the spill basin 49. rlhe vessel is provided with a compartment 50 which may be loaded with shot'l or other material sc as to pro erly counterbalance the apparatus and the cad it is designed to carry without tilting.

The chamber 45 has a liquid iiowing thereinto at a constant rate from a basin 53 through a pipe 54 having a contracted outlet 55. The llquid in the basin is kept at a constant-level to rovide a constant head for supplying liqui to, the vessel, the basin having the spill wayV 58 and the channel 56 by which the overflow reaches a pipe ,57 discharging into the spill basin 49. The basin 53 is kept full by liquid flowing from the c011- duit 1 through the pipe 59 having the screen or filter 52 and the valve 60' therein, the screen being between the conduit and the valve to protect the latter from particles large enough to clogit when the' valve ,is throttled to the required opening. The basin g1g? receives any liquid escaping through the .float 21 andthe counterbalance 22 to hold will `:fall and vthe cam will revolve therewith tact, means whereby sai arenas As in a conduit having a venturi section the pressure from the iow is less at the contracted section than at the normal section and the difference between the two pressures increases with the velocity of iiow, the columnsof mercury in the reservoirs will vary in height therewith. The mechanism is so adj usted that when the velocity of flow in the conduit is zero the mercury'column in the receptacle 6 has an elevation which causes the 7 5 the cam in such a position that the tap et will makeV contact with the part thereof 'arthest from its axis and the register isnot operated.. As the flow increases the column so that lperi `heral oints thereof nearer the axis are gra ually rought under the tappet which consequently rises higher to make contact therewith. Since the ioat 38 reciprocates `through a constant space at re lar 111-. te/rvalsl byreason of the constant l 'ng and emptying of .the vessel containing it and the guides 40 which limit its movements, 'the tappet will be lowered to a deinitepoint and rise until it makes contact with-the cam at regular intervals, its arc of vibration varying with the posi ion of the cam. Consequentlyl the step by s ep movement of the gear wheel 27 and the rate of the register operated thereby will vary with the rate of flow so that the flow will be registered.

1t will be understood that the siphon tube must be such that it will discharge at a greater rate under its minimum discharging 1 head than the rate of flow into the/vessel.

Having described my invention, 1 claim 1. A liquid meter comprising a vessel having a siphon for discharging loads accumulated therein, a float which reciprocates in said vessel as the same isvfilled and discharged, a tappet, a revoluble cam lwith which said tappet is ada tedl to make confloat is connected with and withdraws said tappet from said cam, ,a conduit, a reservoir connected with said conduit, a float in said reservoir, means whereby said float in said reservoir is v ariable in position with variations in the flow of a liquid in said conduit, and means whereby the position of said cam is varied with the variation in the position of said float in said reservoir.

2. A liquid meter com rising an oscillating vessel having a siphon or discharging loads accumulated therein, means for discharging a liquid into said vessel at a constant rate a oat reciprocating in said vesselat a regular, rate with the rise and fall of the there-r in, an oscillatin tappet connecte with said iloat and move thereby to adeinite position at regular intervals, a register connected. with and operated by said tappet, a revolll-z ble cam for varying the arc. of oscillationof 'said tappet, areservoir having aioat therein, my hand this 20th day of September, A. D. and means for ponneqting said float in said 1905, in the presence of the subscribing Witreservoir with said cam, whereby variations nesses.

in the position of said float causes oorre- JOHN W. LEDOUX. 5 sponding variations in the position of said Witnesses:

cam. UTLEY E. CRANE, Jr.,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set LOUIS H. BUEK. 

